A. J. Foyt Enterprises
 | |
| Founded | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Base | Waller, Texas, USA |
| Team principal(s) |
A. J. Foyt Larry Foyt Jack Starne Craig Baranouski Tom Howatt |
| Current series | IndyCar Series |
| Former series | NASCAR |
| Current drivers |
 Takuma Sato Jack Hawksworth |
| Website | http://www.foytracing.com/ |
| Drivers' Championships |
1967 USAC (Foyt) 1975 USAC (Foyt) 1979 USAC (Foyt) 1996 IRL (Sharp) 1998 IRL (Bräck) |
A. J. Foyt Enterprises is an American racing team in the Verizon Indycar Series and formerly NASCAR. It is owned by four-time Indianapolis 500 winner, 1972 Daytona 500 winner, 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and two-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner A. J. Foyt.
USAC National Championship
The team was founded in 1965 and won three National Championship (in 1967, 1975 and 1979) and two Indianapolis 500 (in 1967 and 1977), all with A. J. Foyt at the wheel.
CART
A. J. Foyt Enterprises never won a CART-sanctioned event during its participation from 1979 to 1995. At the 1995 Bosch Spark Plug Grand Prix, Eddie Cheever was leading the race with just over 1 lap to go when the car ran out fuel. It would be the closest the team came to winning a CART race.
IndyCar
Foyt Enterprises won IRL titles in 1996 with Scott Sharp and 1998 with Kenny Bräck. Bräck also won the Indianapolis 500 for the team in 1999.
In 2006 the team hoped to resurrect itself with experienced driver Felipe Giaffone and a more level playing ground brought by a spec engine. However, after a strong start to the season, the team struggled after the Indianapolis 500 and parted ways with Giaffone after the eighth race. Jeff Bucknum was brought in to fill the seat for the rest of the year.
In 2007 Foyt announced that Larry Foyt would take over as team manager and Darren Manning was signed as the team's driver. Manning captured three top-five finishes in his two years with the team, including a second place in 2008 at Watkins Glen International. However, with high profile veteran Vítor Meira becoming available following the 2008 season, Foyt signed him to replace Manning.
Foyt Enterprises began the 2009 IndyCar Series season sponsored by ABC Supply and fielding Vitor Meira, who was injured in the Indianapolis 500. Ryan Hunter-Reay and Paul Tracy took over driving duties for the rest of the 2009 season. Meira returned in 2010 but split with the team after the season. Japanese driver Takuma Sato currently drives the No. 14. The team announced in October that they would field a second car (No. 41) full-time in 2015 for Jack Hawksworth.[1]
NASCAR Nextel Cup
No. 14 history
The No. 14 started as the No. 50 when A. J. Foyt began fielding NASCAR teams in 1973 part-time, driving the Purolator Chevrolet. He drove for the team on a very limited schedule throughout the seventies, picking up one pole and nine top-tens. Ron Hutcherson was the first driver besides Foyt to drive the car, and later Johnny Rutherford drove for the team in 1978. In the 1980s, Foyt was almost the sole driver of the team, and with Valvoline sponsorship, switched to the No. 14 beginning with the 1983, and posted his final career top-five at Talladega two years later in the Copenhagen car. In 1989, Tracy Leslie drove for the team in a pair of races, finishing twentieth at Michigan International Speedway. Foyt did not drive in the 1991 season, letting Mike Chase compete instead, who finished no better than 25th. After that, Foyt did not field a team until the inaugural Brickyard 400 in 1994, when he qualified fortieth and finished thirtieth in the No. 50. Foyt would attempt the Brickyard for the next two seasons, but did not qualify for either race, forcing his permanent retirement. During the 1999 season, rumors began spreading that Foyt would revive his defunct operation to compete in the Cup Series. After several months, it was announced that Foyt would hire rookie Mike Bliss as the driver of his No. 14 Conseco Pontiac Grand Prix. Bliss qualified for the Daytona 500, but after failing to qualify for the next three races, he was released and briefly replaced by Dick Trickle. After getting an offer from another team, Trickle would leave as well, and would be replaced by Rick Mast after he and several crew members left the bankrupt Larry Hedrick Motorsports team. Mast stayed with the team for the rest of the season, and had two top-tens. In 2001, Ron Hornaday was selected as the team's driver, but he only posted one top-ten and was dismissed at the end of the season.
Following Hornaday's departure, Stacy Compton began driving for the team starting in 2002. After posting only three top-twenty finishes, Compton left the team, and P. J. Jones took over at the Sirius Satellite Radio at the Glen, and posted the team's best finish of fourth. Mike Wallace was then designated as driver, posting a tenth-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway. It had been originally announced Foyt would field two cars in 2003, with Wallace in the 14, and Larry Foyt in a second car with Harrah's sponsoring. Unfortunately, Conseco filed for bankruptcy, leaving only one car with Larry driving. The team also switched its Cup team to Dodge with engines provided by Evernham Motorsports. Foyt only qualified for twenty races with a best finish of sixteenth, and finished 41st in points. Harrah's left at the end of 2003, and Larry Foyt qualified for three races in 2004, but did not obtain major sponsorship, leaving the team inactive. Later in the season, Foyt sold his owner's points to ppc Racing's new Cup team. A. J. Foyt Racing officially closed their Cup team in 2006, following an auction of the team's NASCAR equipment in August.
No. 41 history
Foyt Racing also briefly expanded to a two-car team at the 2000 season finale, the NAPA 500, when they fielded the No. 41 for Foyt's son Larry, but did not make the race.
The team also ran a second car again in 2001 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, with Mark Green driving, but did not qualify.
The team also ran a second car yet again in 2002 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with P. J. Jones but the number changed from No. 41 to No. 50.
NASCAR Busch Series
No. 14 history
In 2001, Foyt started a Busch team, the No. 14 Harrah's Chevrolet, driven by Larry Foyt. Despite failing to finish in the top-ten, Foyt finished 22nd in points overall.
In the Busch Series for 2002, Foyt had two top-tens and improved one spot in the points.
Racing results
Complete CART Indy Car World Series results
(key)
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Complete IRL IndyCar Series results
(key) (Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)
- 1 Non-points-paying, exhibition race.
Drivers who have driven for A. J. Foyt Enterprises
USAC National Championship
A. J. Foyt (1965–1979)- Al Unser (1965)
- George Snider (1966, 1969–1970, 1972–1974, 1978)
- Joe Leonard (1967)
- Jim Hurtubise (1967)
- Jim McElreath (1968, 1970)
- Carl Williams (1968)
- Roger McCluskey (1969)
- Donnie Allison (1970–1971)
- Sam Sessions (1972, 1974)
- Rick Muther (1975)
- Bill Vukovich II (1977)
CART
- A. J. Foyt (1979–1993)
- George Snider (1980, 1983–1987, 1992)
- Johnny Rutherford (1984, 1988)
- Chip Ganassi (1985)
- Sammy Swindell (1986)
- Stan Fox (1987–1988)
- Davy Jones (1987, 1994)
- Rocky Moran (1988–1989)
- Mike Groff (1991–1992)
Bernard Jourdain (1991)- Al Unser, Sr. (1991)
- Jeff Andretti (1992)
Jon Beekhuis (1992)- Brian Bonner (1992)
- Pancho Carter (1992)
- Gregor Foitek (1992)
- Ross Cheever (1992)
- Robby Gordon (1993)
- John Andretti (1993–1994)
- Davy Jones (1994)
- Bryan Herta (1994)
- Eddie Cheever (1994–1995)
Fredrik Ekblom (1995)- Scott Sharp (1995)
- Brian Till (1995)
INDYCAR
Marco Greco (1996)- Mike Groff (1996)
- Davey Hamilton (1996–1997)
- Scott Sharp (1996–1997)
- Paul Durant (1997)
- Billy Boat (1997–2000)
- Greg Ray (1998, 2001–2002)
- Kenny Bräck (1998–1999)
- Robbie Buhl (1999)
- Jeff Ward (2000)
Eliseo Salazar (2000–2002)- Robby Gordon (2001)
- Donnie Beechler (2001–2002)
- Richie Hearn (2002)
- Airton Daré (2002–2003)
- A. J. Foyt IV (2003–2005, 2009)
- Shigeaki Hattori (2003)
- Larry Foyt (2004–2006)
- Jeff Bucknum (2005–2006)
- Felipe Giaffone (2005–2006)
- Al Unser, Jr. (2007)
- Darren Manning (2007–2008)
- Ryan Hunter-Reay (2009)
Paul Tracy (2009)- Vitor Meira (2009–2011)
- Mike Conway (2012)
- Takuma Sato (2013–)
- Conor Daly (2013)
- Martin Plowman (2014)
- Jack Hawksworth (2015–)
NASCAR
Cup Series
- A. J. Foyt (1973–1974, 1977–1990, 1994)
- Johnny Rutherford (1977)
- Ron Hutcherson (1978)
- Don Whittington (1980)
- Tracy Leslie (1989)
- Mike Chase (1991)
- Mike Bliss (2000)
- Rick Mast (2000)
- Dick Trickle (2000)
- Ron Hornaday (2001)
- Stacy Compton (2002)
- P. J. Jones (2002)
- Mike Wallace (2002)
- Larry Foyt (2003–2004)
Grand National Series
- Larry Foyt (2001–2002)
- Mark Green (2001)
- Ronnie Hornaday (2001)
- David Starr (2001)
Truck Series
- Joe Bessey (1997)
- Ken Schrader (1997)
USAC Silver Crown
- Josh Wise (2006)
- Tracy Hines (2007)
- Pablo Donoso (2007)
References
- ↑ Lewandowski, Dave (October 29, 2014). "Foyt team expands with Hawksworth in No. 41 car". IndyCar Series (IndyCar). Retrieved January 2, 2015.
External links
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